“Once somebody goes down, you expect the next guy up to pick up the slack and not be a drop-off,” Flowers said. “He played hard, but he has to understand that once you come in you have to do your job at a high level. You can’t use ‘I haven’t had reps’ as an excuse.”

The Longhorns went three-and-out three consecutive times when Hutchins was on the field. On a third down in the fourth quarter, he let two Cowboys’ rushers into the backfield unblocked for an easy sack. When Flowers publicly criticized his teammate’s preparation, his coaches supported his sentiments. Jay Norvell, wide receivers coach and offensive play-caller, said that Flowers’ concerns are valid. Norvell hopes to see his team respond.

“As long as our kids are constructive, I think it’s okay for a kid to speak up,” Norvell said. “Our kids work awfully hard, and when you invest early morning workouts, weight training, sprints all summer, it hurts when our guys aren’t invested … I feel like it’s their responsibility to speak up, and we really need more of that.”

The Longhorns will need Flowers’ comments to resonate if Perkins can’t play on Saturday. TCU ranks third in the Big 12 in sacks, so the offensive line’s job will be even more critical. After Flowers’ outburst, Norvell expects the offensive line to answer the call.

“We need more guys willing to stand for what they believe in, and I think it will show up on the field as well,” Norvell said. “That type of conviction shows confidence.”